Stretchable athletic devices that can be used for exercising the upper body are generally known in the art. Heretofore, these exercise devices have been limited in their use while running and walking, and during aerobics and related indoor exercises, because the devices were overly complicated or were not designed to handle the full range of arm motions involved in such exercises. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,705 to Telle (1991) includes a vest to protect the user from two straps which stretch across the user's shoulders and back when using this device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,671 to Atkins et al discloses a multi-purpose device for exercising arms and legs. Its stated use is for indoor exercise, primarily muscular exercise. It is not designed for the back and forth, or push pull, arm movements of running and walking. This invention's belt attachment fastener for connecting an elastic member is a loose loop of NYLON material, designed mainly for attaching the exerciser to a closed door. The result of using this fastener to attach the middle of the exercise cord to the belt is that the elastic member is not held securely to the belt. The elastic member uncomfortably snaps across the front and sides of the user's stomach during the arm movements of running and other exercises.
A number of stretchable arm exercise devices have elastic members that attach to the two sides of a user's belt, i.e., the devices have two separate attachment points, one on each side of the user's body. These devices allow for comfortable use only when arms are being extended together in the same direction forward or backward. When arms are going in opposite directions (i.e., one arm forward while one arm backward), which is the normal arm movement of running or walking, the two separate attachment points cause the belt to be rotated back and forth around the user's midsection. The result is an uncomfortable rubbing and chafing on the user's waist. One such device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,173 to Hopkins (1985).
Longhurst British Patent No. A.D. 1907 discloses a device suitable for use as an elbow guide in teaching the game of golf including a loop of leather attached in a suitable manner to the back of a golfer's belt, with a fixed length (i.e., inelastic) leather strap slidably mounted through the loop and extending to elastic loops at the ends thereof for slipping over the golfer's arms at or near the elbows.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,441 to Karlik (1964) discloses an exercise device including a cord mounted around a plurality of pulleys associated with three springs, with handles and stirrups connected to four ends of the cord for use by the user while lying down or standing.